The Rain And The Thunder... A Plight Of Mumbaikar!

The Rain God was in no mood to show any mercy! It was bucketing like hell!

The guy at the vada pau stall, near the rickshaw stand was incredibly fast. The speed with which he was making the vada pau’s was like he was competing with the heavy shower and he didn’t leave a single customer unsatisfied. Sharmaji… his most faithful customer had his eyes stuck on the kadai and was impatiently waiting to grab his bite.

Holding the slightly broken umbrella in one hand while he was relishing his morning snack and simultaneously reasoning on the phone explaining his boss why he would be late for work. Rains are indeed the best excuse for all the lazy fellas!

Standing in the long queue of rickshaw, he had no worries. Like his fellow commuter friends, he too was accustomed to the ignorant administration. After almost a year, he now had his gang with whom he used to laugh and wait for the auto rickshaw.

Ask him if this frustrated or angered him and the reply would be a cool and calm one, “ye to roz ka hai. Ab aadat ho gayi hai”. You cannot help but smile and give a nod.

After having a light humorous time with the ever smiling Sharmaji, I headed to the railway station to meet my darling 7:05 local. The scene at the station was grotesque. From the bridge all I could see was a black blanket covering the platform. The railway track was nowhere to be seen. Instead there was a thin river flowing! The first thought was if I had come to the wrong place but that couldn’t be. The second thought obviously was to hire a boat! :P

Days like these are one of the most crucial business days for the owners of the tea stall at the platforms. One of the traits of a Mumbaikar is that he loves to eat. And on occasions like these when they know they have plenty of time with them, they don’t like to keep their mouths idle. Strangers become friends! While savouring the hot tea, they chat about the step-motherly treatment the city gets. One could feel the virtual blanket of tension that roofed the station. Blank indicators, the same old announcements (aapki asuvidha ke liye hame khed hai)… new excuses for the same story surface all the time.

Where I had fear on my face of being late for my lecture, Sharmaji and his smile was intact. He was talking and waving as if it was a daily business for him. After waiting for almost 45 minutes, I got a glimpse of my darling who was slowly making its way through the river to help me reach my destination. The mere sight of the yellow and purple beauty brought a wave of happiness among the tensed crowd and everyone prepared themselves for the upcoming war…to board the train!

Finally after having an adventurous morning and being victorious in the war to board the train, I settled myself inside the compartment. There was just one hot topic buzzing throughout the compartment. When I think about it, I realize that there is nothing much a common citizen like you and I can do. We’ll have to just wait for the fairy godmother to come and wave her magic wand.
There is little a Mumbaikar can do but grimace and bear the bumpy ride.

Three Blasts In Mumbai! The Unlucky July!

First it was 7/11 then 26/11 and now 13/11. (ek silsila sa chala hai...na jane kab inteha hogi)

It looks like ‘11’ is indeed the most deadly number for the Mumbaikars. It has very much become a part of Mumbaikar’s life. It happened now… It will happen again and again there will be some more candle rallies. Some more politicians blaming each other. Some more committees will be formed to STUDY the blasts. And some more hats off to Mumbai’s Undying Spirit!

And look at the coincidence! It’s Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab’s birthday! Looks like the terrorists were celebrating his birthday at the cost of the innocent’s life! Is it their way of thanking us for taking such good care of their buddy?

Everybody...People, Politicians, Police is talking ‘what happened?’ but nobody is bothering ‘Why it happened?’

Why did it happen AGAIN? Why the innocent people were killed AGAIN? What happened to the National Security? Or is it that we are supposed to get used to this now and make it a part of our daily life?

Looks like it’s a Tom and Jerry chase for the mumbaikar! It’s either the rains or the blasts or maybe something else. And they talk about the Spirit of Mumbai...to accept and move on. But will please someone tell us… How long?... For how long?

Should we just rely on our luck and never feel safe by the System?

Some Positivity Please?

Why does one watch a news channel?
To know what’s happening around. To be aware of one’s surroundings.

So yesterday, to accomplish this very purpose and in an attempt to 'know what's happening around the world' I switched on the T.V. to cognisant myself. Last night on Star News at 9 P.M., the first news was about NASA’s Atlantis being launched. Following that we had Rahul Gandhi who did not eat at a Dalit’s house.

Funny right? On one side we have these people who are aiming for the sky and are establishing their mark there.
And look at us! We are still busy solving our ground issues which apparently, has no end it.

When will the time come when we will be in their place? When will we get to hear such news about our country?

You must be thinking here she goes again with her philosophy.

To that I’ll say, THINK!

Lokpal Bill - Nothing Guaranteed!

There is a lot of chaos everywhere regarding the Lokpal Bill, eradicate corruption, Anna Hazare going on Hunger Strike, Baba Ramdev duplicating the same. But are we even sure about the problem? Is the Lokpal Bill the sole point of focus or should corruption be targeted? A Lokpal Bill if passed may slow the rate of social decay in the short run, but in the long run it too must become a prey of ‘corruption’.

Clearly the common man is confused. I didn’t know about the Lokpal Bill before Anna Da went on the hunger strike and I am sure there are many like me out there. But what we all must think is what the need of the country is at this hour? It is definitely not eradicating corruption. It is much more than that. We are beholding the inexistence of character so we must build character and corruption will automatically evaporate.

But then again, it all sounds very philosophical and nowhere near practicality. Anna Da did and is still doing the best he can but can one man really accomplish? It’s not the British era. We are talking about the 21st century where unity is lost. It's not that eon where everyone will overlook everything and get united to accomplish a goal. Now, everyone is a single individual with his own needs and wants. We first figure how it will benefit us. And if we even minutely sense that it might cause some hitch, we now very well to stay out of it.

Whatever happens, in the end, Honesty should win and not allegations!

Ramdev Baba Is No Anna Hazare!

So now we have a new fashion in town…Hunger Strike! Fantastic! What else do we need? Anna Hazare went on a hunger strike to knock out corruption from the country. I don’t know what will happen to that eventually but the others have definitely got something new to do now. Confused? Don’t be. It’s simple. We Indians have the herd mentality. We do what everyone else does. Anna Hazare did Ann shann to wipe out corruption so now even Baba Ramdev joined the league!

What is the de facto? Why is he doing it? Is he really vexed about the corruption in the country? Or are there any personal gains behind it? What Anna Hazare did was different and what this guy is doing is not even close. Anna Hazare did not ask anyone to follow him. He was a frustrated stupid common man who lost his patience and decided to take a step forward. He only said what he wanted to do and went ahead with it and got the entire India supporting him. The common man was with him. He did not ask anyone personally to support him for the cause. Nor did he have any followers. He is a simple man who has all the simplicity - you name it. He have it and who genuinely wants to bring about the ‘change’! People just followed him, from big personalities and celebrities to the simple (read: stupid) common man.

But the case with Baba Ramdev is incomparable. His followers are his patients, who do his yoga. They too are innocent people and somewhere down the line are discontented. And ok even if we assume that his intentions are pure, then why was he running dress like a woman, jumping and hiding in the crowd to hide himself? So comparing him with Anna Hazare would be inappropriate.

There are a lot of other problems in this country like unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, female infanticide, and so many more. Look into that. If you really want to do something then do it to get rid all these problems also. Why is everyone behind corruption? Or are we waiting for another Anna Hazare to stand against the other problems and then we all will follow him (the herd mentality)!

What have we done as individuals? I agree not everyone is Anna Hazare and I am not even asking everyone to get up and go on hunger strike or any such strike. But do we even do the simple things which are in our hands? I have noticed so many times while commuting, people eat chips and wada pau’s and then throw the trash out of the window. Why? How hard is it to throw it in the dustbin? Why do we spit on the roads? Those roads are built from the taxes that we pay. Don’t we know that? How comfortably we spoil our own property. The bottom line is, it’s not about who has done what. It’s about what have you done? We all have become pessimists. All we do is criticize the system and point fingers at others. Anyone can do that. We are building hatred and in the long run, we all will drown in this hatred.

We are Indians! We are the biggest democracy in the world. We were the ones who united and kicked the British out of our house. We had Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Sing, Indira Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who were born here and who brought a change. I know I am stating nothing new here but even though we have read all this a hundred times, we still haven’t got it fixed in our heads. The eyes do the reading but then it vanishes from there itself. I wonder if it ever touched our hearts.

Ever wished you would have done something, but didn't? Something you wanted to do, perhaps even needed to do; but for one reason or no reason at all, you just never did. We all have. And many of us still do. Instead of doing, we don't. And a lifetime of missed opportunities passes us by.

What's the deal here? What makes us frequently turn our backs on the very things that are important to us, things that give our lives meaning and purpose? Why do we needlessly allow so many magical moments to silently slip away?

Why do we leave a trail littered with broken promises and unfulfilled dreams instead of just doing what needs to be done?

The Best Ever CRUNCH !!!

So finally I’ve got myself again to sit and write something. Not that I dislike writing. It’s just that sometimes I have a lot to say but just don’t have the words. Just like my last internship at Network 18 (in.com). I was lucky enough to get an internship at in.com for MTV Crunch. I know it was over long back. But then you know it’s never too late.

It’s been almost a week I left that office where I had the best time ever. I admit that working for crunch.in.com as a live blogger was the best internship ever. I learnt so much, made so many new buddies…in short it was just superb!

It all started with a call I got from the HR of Network 18 during my study leave. That time I was already interning with a PR firm and so I showed no interest in the opportunity he was offering me. But a big big biggg thanks to him, because had he not forced me to come for the interview, I wouldn’t have cared at all.

So next day I went to Network 18 with my friend, hoping it would be a simple interview where he would ask me about my future plans and that would be it. But how wrong I was! It turned out to be completely opposite to what I had expected. The moment I entered the office I was astounded! It was just like one of those offices you see in those daily soaps. Just the kind of office I always wanted to work in. And suddenly I was tensed and nervous, because I knew that getting into an organization like this is never going to be easy.

And I was right! The HR (Vinod) came and he took me in for a chat. He asked general stuff like my exams, future plans. He asked if saw the site and all. It was relaxed and cool. Then he gave me the actual jhatka where he told me that I will be required to give a 45 minutes test, based on which they will decide whether I fit the bill or no. I was all nervous and panicking but then it passed. And frankly speaking, the moment I finished it, I somehow knew that I haven’t made it. I was like that person who has no more hopes in life and whose life has ended. (Very dramatic, right?)

Exams ended and I got back to my internship at the PR firm. But I had lost all interest. Now if you show a person dairy milk silk which he could get but then give him mango bite, that person is surely not gonna like it. After a long week, one evening I got a call. By then I had given up all hopes. But as they say, “great things happen when you least expect them”. The call was from Network 18 and they told me that I was selected! My immediate reaction was “Really??!! Yippppeeeeeeeee!” I was on top of the world. My immediate reaction was to call my mom and gave her the fantastic news. My mom always told me that I would get it. Somewhere down the line she was sure about it. And her magic worked this time also! I love her so much. It’s like whatever she says it happens! Period!

I was just way too excited about it. The first day when I entered the office I was all energetic. Usually, I am nervous and not so excited but this was something totally different. From the beginning it was different. On the first day I met all my team members and in the blink of an eye, we were all talking and laughing. Then within 2 days we had started with our training session.

And hence, the journey started…from live blogging, to those short coffee breaks, to the team lunches. Everything was just mesmerizing. I loved every bit of it. I used to love going to office. I had friends there, the seniors were super cool, and every single bit of it was crazy!

It was indeed the best ever internship and I certainly miss it. Once again, thanks to Smruti for showing confidence in me and Aditi, my team leader who helped me improve a lot. I will miss all of you.

Mrs. Tendulkar Aala Re!

On one regular lazy day, I was just lazing around and adoring the most awaited vacations after one hectic year. Never in my life so far had I worked so hard (And mind you, I say that at the end of every year :P). Studies, internships, projects, assignments, phew! Yeah so I was enjoying the “vacations” thinking about how jobless I am!

When teenagers like me are bored, we have only 2 let outs: The Idiot Box i.e. T.V. and Facebook. Facebook isn’t really that fun. You enjoy it only when you have your friends online in that chat window otherwise after an hour you end up refreshing your home page every 10 seconds just to see if bored people like us have posted something lame enough to entertain us. You know what’s amusing is that we know we have got our dose of Facebook but still we cannot get ourselves to log out and shut that damn window off! Bloody Addiction!

Now moving on to the idiot box which is not so idiot considering it gives us most of the entertainment when we have given up all the hopes and have surrendered to boredom. So well big thanks to Philo Farnsworth! And also to all the production houses, actors, directors…Uh well you got the point. (The point btw is I’m bored)

The other day I was just surfing through the channels, I came across this show Mrs. Tendulkar on Sab TV. Usually I prefer watching star world or star movies or HBO. But times when even they refuse to show me good stuff, I resort to other channels.

Ya so there is this show Mrs. Tendulkar which was going on. My sister insisted to watch it and all those who have younger sisters know how it is like when they put their foot down if they want something. They get it!

To my amazement the show was indeed good. Within 5 minutes I too was glued on the screen. Such a unique concept presented in such a marvellous way. Mrs. Tendulkar’ is a unique story of the bank colony members who, work and live together as one big family. The show stars comedy-veteran Deven Bhojani, as Suhaas Tendulkar and Kishori Godbole a well-known Marathi actress as Vibhavari Tendulkar. The show revolves around the life of the Tendulkars’ where unlike most other families, wife is the bread-earner and husband a homemaker (househusband as they say).

The acting and the themes are so real that you can connect yourself with it. Themes like corruption, following traffic rules, etc. are conveyed in a very strong yet hilarious manner. I saw it once and got addicted to it. Deven Bhojani who playes the character of Mr. Suhaas Tendulkar is indeed a star. His smile is to die for. He conveys the message with so much ease and innocence that you cannot ignore it. His habit of forgetting simple things like people’s name never fails to bring a smile on my face.

I’m telling you guys. If you are tired, or upset or for that matter just bored watch this show. Like watch it!!! It comes every Monday – Thursday 9:30 P.M. It’s half an hour of complete entertainment. You will feel refreshed and good. I guarantee that!

Lastly, Hats Off to Hats Off Productions!